“You did jolly well to think of asking old Sims,” said Fatty warmly. “A very good idea - worthy even of that great detective, Sherlock Holmes.”
This was indeed high praise from Patty, but honesty made Larry admit that it was Daisy who had given him the idea.
“Still, it was well carried out,” said Fatty. “But I say - things are curiouser and curiouser, as Alice in Wonderland would say. I did think, when I heard the name, that John Henry Smith sounded a little bit too ordinary - the sort of name people take when they don’t want to be found out in anything.”
“Fancy! All that tale about his mother living there was made up,” said Bets. “I wonder why he wanted that particular house so badly. Does he use that secret room, do you think?”
“Don’t know,” said Fatty. “We’ve certainly got hold of a queer mystery. We shall have to find out who John Henry Smith is.”
The others stared at him, and little shivers went down Bet’s back. To her John Henry Smith seemed to be a queer and rather frightening person. She didn’t think she particularly wanted to meet him.
“We - we can’t go to Limmering,” she said, in a small voice.
“No. I told you before - we can telephone,” said Patty. “What was the number now, Pip? Limmering 021?”
“Yes,” said Pip. “You telephone, Fatty. This is rather important. If any one is going to speak to John Henry Smith himself, it had better be you.”
“All right,” said Fatty, looking important. “I’ll go down to the call-box and phone from there. If your mother hears me phoning from your house here, Pip, she may want to know what it’s all about.”